Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)

Settling In Budapest. Systematic Collection of Folk Songs (1907–1913)

1909

CHRONICLES OF BÉLA

BARTOK'S

LIFE

performing in Budapest for the first time after 12 years. The programme is: César

Francks

Preludium, Choral and Fugue, Beethovens Sonata in C minor, Chopins Sonata in B minor, Liszts Sonata in B minor (encore La Campanella).

3 April

- At the Vienna Opera he watches Richard Strauss’ Electra from a very bad seat where not only to see but also to hear is nigh impossible.

4 April

- From Vienna he writes a postcard to his sister in Szilad.

22 April

- From Budapest he writes a postcard to Etelka

Freund.

21 May

- He writes Etelka

Freund

that next day he would go to the Opera “for this once” (Siegfried is performed).

21 June

- The Tax Supervisory of District 4 records his failure to make a tax declaration, and on 20 July he is imposed a fine of 10 K (crowns).

His sister comes to Budapest, and together with their mother the three of them leave for a short vacation.

24 June

- From Zagreb they write Irma Voit

in

Szilad.

25 June

- In Venice they stay at the Lewaid guesthouse (739 Via Fondamenta).

Here the three of them do the rounds of the renowned sights (churches S. Giovanni e Paolo, S. Marco, S

Tomà, S.

Zaccaria,

S.

Sebastiano, San Rocco, etc.), they also ride a gondola.

1 July

- Bartok gets hay fever.

2 July

- They go to a picture gallery. He writes Etelka

Freund

and István

Thomán that

he is preparing for a collecting tour in Bihar county.

3 July

- From Vernice they take the evening ship of the Hungaro-Croatian Sea Steamship Ltd. to Fiume.

4 July

- From there they take an excursion to Abbazia and Lovrana.

Around 5 July - They return to Budapest, then in a little while Bartok travels to Szilad.

12 July

- From Szilad

he

writes to Mrs János

Busitia

in Belényes

(Bihar

county) that he is going to visit them on the 17th, he sent the cylinders of the phonograph ahead.

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